"Okay what?"
"I didn't know what todowhen I heard you tell Jessica earlier. I was just standing there like a prop." She glances around, making sure no one's in earshot. "I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But—" She looks across the garden at the alphas, thenback at me. "This has a real shot. From what I've been hearing, Lakeview's buying it. This is becoming the new reality."
"That's the plan," I say, trying to sound confident.
Maren shakes her head, eyes wide. "I cannotbelieveI missed this much in a single day. One day!" She drops her voice and does a quick paranoid scan of the surrounding area. "I need the full story, when we're in a safe space."
"Agreed," Luna says. "We need aproperdebrief. All of us."
"Name the day," I say. "I'll bring rosé. Or Moscato. Possibly both."
Luna practically vibrates. "I amsoholding you to that. The library is excruciatingly slow right now and I need to get out. Last Friday, I reorganized the periodicals section by color because I had nothing else to do."
"Bycolor?" Maren says.
"You should swing by and see it, honestly. It looks fantastic." She pauses. "You'd need to get there before Monday morning, though. Before my boss catches it and I have to undo the whole thing."
"So what you're saying is we have a thirty-six-hour window to witness a crime against the Dewey Decimal System," Maren says.
I laugh and it feels good. Normal. Like I'm actually just a person talking to her friends at a party, not an omega orchestrating a deception that involves a squeeze-based extraction protocol.
Maren catches us up on the bakery, a supplier issue with her flour distributor, a custom cake order for a retirement party that's been more stressful than it has any right to be, the fact that she's been testing a new cardamom scone recipe that she wants me and Luna to try.
We're mid-debate about whether we should drive away right now to taste that delicious-sounding treat when I see them.
Grant. Near the drinks station. Jessica on his arm, in a white sundress similar to the one she wore in my shop (how is she not freezing?? It's barely sixty-three degrees out). They're laughing with someone, looking relaxed...settled.
My stomach drops. I force my shoulders back, lift my chin, and smooth the front of my dress.
If this is happening, I'm striking first.
Luna follows my gaze. Maren follows Luna's. Then Luna gives me a firm nod. "Go," she says quietly. "We're right here if you need to fall back."
I find the alphas a few yards away. Knox is talking to someone I half-recognize, Arthur is gesturing expansively about something, Mason is standing with his arms crossed, listening. I catch Mason's eye first, then point my chin toward the drinks station.
Mason follows my gaze. His expression doesn't change, but I see him touch Knox's elbow. Knox glances at me. Arthur notices both of them noticing me.
We don't have a signal for this. We didn't plan forregroup on my mark. But they understand anyway, because within thirty seconds, we're crossing the garden. Arthur falls in on my left. Knox on my right. Mason behind me.
I reach for Arthur's and Knox's hands. Mason's palm comes to rest on the back of my shoulder. The six contact points make my skin hum, but I don't have time to unpack that because we're already reaching our targets.
Grant notices us first. He straightens, his eyes moving from me to Arthur to Knox, and when they reach Mason looming behind me, he swallows a flinch for a fraction of a second before his expression smooths into something almost friendly.
Jessica's smile is already in place, but it recalibrates slightly as she takes in the formation.
"Beth." Grant's voice is warm. Warmer than I expected. "Hey. It's been a while."
True, I guess he didn't technically see me at the engagement party.
"It has," I say. "How are you?"
"Really good, actually." He nods, and the thing is, he seems like he means it. He looks healthy. Rested. "You look great. Seriously."
"Thanks."
A beat. He glances at the guys, then back at me. "And I heard about the shop," he says. "People say you're doing okay with it. That's so great, Beth. Good for you for living off your little passion project."
I maintain a painfully pleasant smile.
